Cosmic Psychos – ‘I Really Like Beer’ (Subway Records)

Cosmic Psychos – ‘I Really Like Beer’ (Subway Records)

State the fuckin obvious. Them Cosmic Psychos always did things their own way with a cheeky nod and a grin and a tune penned for beer money to supplement the farming game, but d’you know what they quickly found out they were bloody good at it. They might well have peaked when they penned ‘Nice Day To Go To The Pub’ not like they had writers block or anything they just wrote about what they saw ever fuckin day be it nice day to go to the pub or a tale about Fuckwit City they always wrapped the lyrics in huge fuckin riffs with plenty of cowshit and snot to compensate for the manly smell of beer n bellies so why not finally put pen to paper and title this one what they really wanted to call their records.

Leading the way for decades treading paths so the scamps in The Chats or Amyl and her sniffers could follow. Giving those C.O.F.F.I.N. boys the confidence to do it like they wanna or making things ok for the civics and stiff Richards of the world to follow, thereafter the Cosmic Psychos have been there, done it and worn out the beer n piss stained t shirt.

‘I Really Like Beer’ is the culmination of a sober five minutes to complete what amounts to a stonking riff-heavy barnstormer all about one of their favourite life hacks – Beer. Of course, they could only come from the land down under, much like the other bands I mentioned, and lump in Grindhouse to that and drunk mums, hell, its only The Saints and Birdman who escape the idiot circus at this rate and The Cosmics are the daddies!

There’s a bluntness about this lot, they don’t do fancy, there’s no tunes about trendy fruit flavoured Beer, nor pouring it over Ice, it’s straight down the line, meat n tatoes Pub Punk from the wailing opener and title track, the tempo is set. Mad Macca is playing a blinder with his SG resting on his keg like gut the guys on fire.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and their brand of thuggish punk rock is timeless and classic, and why would you want them to change anyways? It’s a sure-fire winner. There’s something quite poetic about twelve beer-soaked rockers, “You are the new age, I’m from the stone age”, so there’s a rousing middle finger right there, deal with it. ‘This Could Be The Greatest Beer Of My Life’ is a magic title, and the riff is up there with the best of em.

It’s not all crash bang wallop ‘Do It Again’ starts off with a cool run as bass and guitars lock in, and ‘Hey Mick Your Sick’ would give old Steve Jones a run for his money if he were to write for an album again, these boys could be his writing partners. ‘Have One More’ is so immature; ‘Spaghetti Weston’ is a classic play on words and the melody is supersnotty to the max, then we go out as we came in with ‘I Really Really Really Like Beer’ so lets fuck this off and go to the pub for a few sneaky looseners and hope they’ve go t ajukebox so we can crank out some Cosmic Psychos – Thirst work this writing lark is so all thats lef tis fo rme to tell you to buy this album you’ll reall reall reall like it!

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

The Saints – ‘Long March Through The Jazz Age’ (Fire Records)

The Saints – ‘Long March Through The Jazz Age’ (Fire Records)

On 28th November 2025, Fire Records will release ‘Long March Through the Jazz Age’, the last recorded work by Chris Bailey and The Saints, coinciding closely with what would have been Bailey’s 69th birthday. It’s a moving farewell – a testament to a restless, uncompromising artist who always moved forward, one of rock’s great lyricists and iconoclasts. Sure, he was a different fella to the youth who came up with ‘I’m Stranded’ and there might no thave been the same rage as he had many years previous but he matured into a quality artist and had gravitas and can still capture a room when his music comes through the speakers.

Recorded at Church Street Studios in Sydney, Bailey and longtime Saints drummer Pete Wilkinson flew in from Europe to reunite with guitarist/engineer Sean Carey, who had previously toured and recorded with the band. They were joined by Davey Lane (You Am I) on guitar, plus a handpicked ensemble of Sydney’s most exciting young horn, string and keyboard players.

From Bailey’s rough demos, ‘Long March Through the Jazz Age’ is the sound of a man who grew up and his take on modern times.

Lead single ‘Empires (Sometimes We Fall)’ is the album’s anthemic opener, the western guitars sit nicely behind Bailey’s words: “Sometimes we rise, sometimes we fall”. It’s a great intro on an album that has gravitas and a swagger with Bailey’s punk rock heart beat flowing nicely in a really well-produced album.

‘Judas’, is a big piece, with space and thoughtfulness in the arrangement. ‘Gasoline’ has some Stones country honk in its DNA, whilst ‘Bruises’ is an introspective look inside the mind of a legend. Loads of kids who grew up in the glare of the public mellowed later on, take Westerberg as a prime example, add Bailey to that list

There are a few really epic long songs on offer here, and towards the close of the record, I love the cracks in the vocal, which is flawed and rasping on ‘Resurrection Day’ with its uplifting chorus, with beautifully poised horns and strings. It’s a crack of sun poking through the sky on a wet and rainy day, a big panoramic widescreen track.

Over four decade of doing whatever the fuck he liked Bailey and his band The Saints were truly the best from down under make no mistake, utterly pierless and groundbreaking on a global stage and this final offering shows another side of the legend and the best was saved till last with the epic trumpet-punctuated jazzy ‘Carnivore’ as the seven plus minutes unfold like a cinematic widescreen road movie with the vocal sounding both strong and vulnerable at the same time its wonderful through some good speakers or headphones. As it builds, it never really spills over but it does make your heart ache for what could have should have been.

Leaving the whistful acoustic ‘Will You Still Be There’ to carry this fine record home. Saints fans will love it, and I’m sure new fans will find it uplifting, and the full stop of this majestic band brought on for one finale. Buy this record.

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

BAD NERVES – 59-SECOND SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM WITH NEW SINGLE ‘LONER’

BAD NERVES – 59-SECOND SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM WITH NEW SINGLE ‘LONER’

SINGLE AND OFFICIAL VIDEO OUT 18TH NOVEMBER

“The best band in England right now”

– Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day)

PRE-SAVE HERE

To kick off their UK headline tour, Bad Nerves – the “bastard child of a Ramones/Strokes one-night stand” – announce their new single ‘Loner’, a fierce, 59-second blast of raw energy. The song’s release day also marks the first day of their explosive UK tour. Alongside the single, the band have announced an exclusive 7” vinyl, set to drop in December featuring the new single and never-heard-before live recordings of ‘Loner’ and ‘Antidote’ from their US headline tour in May 2025, alongside an exclusive demo of ‘Braindead’.

Their UK headline tour kicks off today across the UK, culminating in their biggest UK headline show to date at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire.

Watch the live video for ‘Loner’ below. Single and official video out 18th November.

PRE-SAVE ON ALL PLATFORMS HERE – PRE-ORDER EXCLUSIVE 7” VINYL HERE

Equal parts adrenaline and outrage, ‘Loner’ is a snarling 59 second, high-voltage critique of media manipulation and its divisive tactics. It channels paranoia and resistance in equal measure. The track’s instruments were captured live at Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard’s Studio Litho in Seattle, just days before the band kicked off their U.S. headline run. Vocalist Bobby Nerves later tracked his vocal take on the band’s tour bus in Dallas fresh from a visit to the site of JFK’s assassination.

When Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong called Bad Nerves “the best band in England right now”  before wearing their merch on the red carpet at the Grammys, punk’s worst-kept secret went global. Armstrong later invited the Essex five-piece to join Green Day on their explosive South American stadium tour in summer 2025, where they tore through their sets with the blistering speed that has become their signature.

Bad Nerves are an Essex five-piece blending the speed of the Ramones with the hooks of The Strokes. Hailed by Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong as “the best band in England right now” (before he was spotted wearing their merch at the Grammys), their self-titled debut (2020) and explosive follow-up Still Nervous (2024) won heavy support from BBC Radio 1, Radio X, Kerrang! and Classic Rock, alongside praise from legends like Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard and The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins. This was then complete with BBC Radio 1 hailing Bad Nerves as “your favourite band’s favourite band”.

Now signed to Loosegroove Records (the label owned by Gossard), the band’s sophomore record Still Nervous (May 2024) cemented their status as one of modern rock’s most vital forces, with anthems like ‘USA’, ‘You’ve Got The Nerve’, and ‘Sorry’ dominating airwaves across BBC Radio 1, BBC 6music, Radio X, Kerrang!, and beyond

United Kingdom

2025-11-18 O2 Institute 2, Birmingham

2025-11-19 The Grove, Newcastle

2025-11-20 Art School, Glasgow

2025-11-22 The Wardrobe, Leeds

2025-11-23 O2 Academy 2, Liverpool

2025-11-25 O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, London

2026-07-09 2000Trees Festival

Australia

2025-12-02 Crowbar, Sydney*

2025-12-03 Max Watts, Melbourne*

2025-12-05 Good Things Festival, Melbourne

2025-12-06 Good Things Festival, Sydney

2025-12-07 Good Things Festival, Brisbane

2025-12-08 The Triffid, Brisbane*

*(co-headline with Dead Poets Society)

Japan

2025-12-10 Daikanyama UNIT, Tokyo

Bad Nerves’ new single ‘Loner’ is out 18th November. Stream here.

FOLLOW BAD NERVES

SPOTIFY | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

Francis Rossi – ‘The Accidental’ Solo Album

Francis Rossi – ‘The Accidental’ Solo Album

Pre Order

‘The Accidental’ by Francis Rossi, released by earMUSIC on 30th January 2026 on CD, LP and Digital formats, comes as something of a surprise… It was a surprise, certainly, to Francis, who had no plans to record an album. “This truly came out of nowhere”, says Rossi. “I spend my life in and out of the studio, rehearsing, tinkering, but something happened earlier this year and, before I knew it, we had created something special.”



While Rossi’s previous solo albums explored his love for acoustic ballads, vocal harmonies, and the blend of British rock with country influences, this album, Francis Rossi’s first in seven years, marks a true return to the energetic, guitar-driven sound that made him a legend with Status Quo.

Listen Here

‘The Accidental’ sees Francis Rossi playing to his strengths, but taking risks, cutting loose, and exploring new territory – this album is all about old bones and fresh blood.

The fresh blood in question comes largely from Hiran Ilangantilike, a guitarist who was originally a school friend of one of Francis’ children, and co-producer Andy Brook. What became the sessions for ‘The Accidental’ was initially born of just plugging in and making some serious noise, but something clicked in the studio. Lightening was indeed bottled: there was a swing and a groove, and the songs started pouring out. With John ‘Rhino’ Edwards and Leon Cave later laying down the bass and drums parts, and Amy Smith again bringing an extra dimension on back-up vocals, this became a project with a bite and DNA all of its own; albeit Francis’ playing is a distinctive as ever. Almost all of the songwriting credits reflect this fresh and collaborative ethos, though there are two that bear the classic Quo hallmark: Rossi / Young. Francis Rossi produced ‘The Accidental’; co-producer Andy Brook recorded, mastered, engineered, and played on the record, and co-wrote three tracks.

Kicking off with a flourish ‘Much Better’ segues into the ebullient ‘Go Man Go’, teeing up future classic ‘Push Comes To Shove’ and the plaintive yet strutting blues singalong of ‘Back On Our Home Ground’ [who will be the first Sports team to adopt this one?]. By then, the engine is well and truly running, and the highlights keep coming. The chug and chant and choppy chords of ‘Something In The Air (Stormy Weather)’ give way to the cantering ‘Picture Perfect’, which could only be a Rossi number. The long strides of ‘November Again’ distil a melancholy refrain into a catchy chorus, and the epic ‘Beautiful World’ channels vintage era Quo with enough guitar to get the balcony of the Glasgow Apollo bouncing again. ‘Time To Remember’ is built around a piano line and swaying melody and serves as a poignant and powerful coda to an extraordinarily strong set of new songs.

Today’s announcement coincides with the launch of the first two songs: ‘Something In The Air (Stormy Weather)’ and ‘Go Man Go’ are available for streaming and download with immediate effect.

“For anyone who liked any of my solo albums previously”, says Francis Rossi, “… well, I’ve no idea what you’ll make of this one because it’s a real departure, but I love it. It’s loud, the guitars are right to the fore, and there are some great songs there”.

This new album finds Francis Rossi once more at the top of his game, with a searing yet thoughtful collection of rockers that will please anyone who likes their dose of heavy cut with melody and verve. Mark Twain said that the accident is “the greatest of all inventors”: when there are no rules, expectations or preconceptions, anything can – and will – happen. ‘The Accidental’ proves that amazing things unfold when an artist with an unrivalled track record is inspired to create new music – even after more than 50 years of success – by the sheer love of playing. That unbridled joy is where the elemental magic that animates ‘The Accidental’ is conjured.

Twisted Sister on a mountain in Wales? Yes please you SMF

Twisted Sister on a mountain in Wales? Yes please you SMF

Steelhouse XV

24-26th July 2026

Festival’s 15 year celebrations marked in style by  TWISTED SISTER as they celebrate half a century of Metal

Buy Tickets Here

Steelhouse – the festival on the top of a Welsh mountain – will welcome American metal legends, TWISTED SISTER, who will headline and close out the festival’s 15th year celebrations on Sunday, the 26th July 2026, as they themselves celebrate a milestone: an incredible half a century as one of most notorious names in rock, having re-formed after a 10 year hiatus. 

Also confirmed as part of a monster first announcement are Friday headliners, The Temperance Movement and Saturday night special guests, Reef. Alien Ant Farm, make their first trip to the Mountain with Tyketto, Von Hertzen Brothers, Darren Wharton’s Renegade, Mason Hill, Dan Byrne, Luke Morley, Anthony Gomes, Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse, AMH, Parker Barrow, LN, King Kraken and Blue Nation all being added to the bill. 

“We thought 15 years was worth celebrating in the biggest possible way”, say Steelhouse promoters, Max and Mikey. “And what better way to do that with one of the most iconic names in metal – TWISTED F***** SISTER!! To have them come and celebrate their milestone 50 years with us is an absolute and unbelievable honour.” 

“When DEE SNIDER came and laid waste to Steelhouse a decade ago – and more than any other headliner, fundamentally got what we were trying to do as an independent rock festival – we hoped that perhaps he would one day return with the band he made his name with… In our 15th year and their 50th, this is coming to pass…TWISTED SISTER on The Mountain is going to be HUGE!!!! 

We’re also extremely excited that The Temperance Movement headline SHXV’s opening night. Their own return has been a hugely welcome and successful one. Their shows last year were akin to going to church! They have history with us which goes back to both our and their early days. We’re so happy they’re making another trip up that road…Get your singing voices ready!” 

2026 marks the 15th iteration of Steelhouse, a now essential fixture on the summer festival map. Tickets are on sale now. For those wanting to spread the cost, a monthly payment plan is available on weekend arena tickets.  VIP upgrades are also available for those wanting VIP bar access, luxury facilities, acoustic sets and more!
 
The Festival at the top of the mountain boasts not only the best views of any UK rock event but one of the most passionate, friendly and loyal followings. With a reputation for not only bringing in the biggest and best names from the international world of Rock, Steelhouse also understands the role it can play in throwing open its prestigious stage to the best of the new breed of bands. It all adds up to a compelling mix of classic and cutting-edge rock, old and new.

SHXV – Come Out And Play!! 

The Lemonheads – ‘Love Chant’ (Fire Records)

The Lemonheads – ‘Love Chant’ (Fire Records)

Years before going overground with a cover of Mrs Robinson and The whole Shame About Ray’ upwards trajectory and superstardom king of the slackers Evan Dando was besties with Oasis and perenial clusterfuck of drama on the live scene through the pages of Melody Maker and NME but never stopped making records going from the early days of the rather excellent records that were ‘Hate your Friends’, ‘Lovey’,’Lick’, ‘Creator’ before going overground and offered up the iconic stuff and big chart hits like ‘Car Button Cloth’ ‘ Shame About Ray’ and ‘Come On Feel’ before disappearing back into the murky underground Dando never stopped making music doing cover albums playign live as a band or solo this is his first Lemonheads studio album in a couple of decades.

It’s been a long time promised, and a cast of collaborators came and went, it’s a bold, melodic return to form with flashes of all previous models of the ban,d from the soppy acoustic folkified ramblings to the chaotic, rough house punk rock ‘In The Margin’. Dando has certainly found his mojo.

Now based in Brazil, where much of the album was recorded, Dando’s relocation in recent years has given him time to focus his attention on getting this done and on our turntables. ‘Wild Thing’ is powerful with big guitar and his distinctive vocal delivery front and centre. The laid-back acoustic junk of ‘Be In’ sits nicely between the happy-go-lucky uptempo swagger of ‘Cell Phone Blues’, another great Dando tune.

If you want more wild, unhinged meanderings, then the Neil Young styleings on ‘Togetherness Is All I’m After’ with distorted guitars strumming big chords over a slow groove and big vocal melody is classic Dando.

J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr), Juliana Hatfield, and Tom Morgan rejoin the fold, alongside producer Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Antony and the Johnsons), Nashville’s Erin Rae, John Strohm of the Blake Babies and Nick Saloman of The Bevis Frond. Adam Green of cult New York favourites The Moldy Peaches also contributes as co-writer on the aforementioned country detour that is ‘Wild Thing’.

You’ve got the groovy bass-heavy ‘Marauders’ offering something funky, whilst the title track is darker and punchier. ‘The Key OF Victory’ is an acoustic meandering campfire jaunt before the dreamy ‘Roky’ kisses the listener goodbye, and a very well-received new album from The Lemonheads that will, in time, sit proudly alongside some of this band’s fine catalogue of releases. In a different time from the last time we got new Lemonheads material, Dando has delivered a strong album that is worthy of the name. Let’s not leave it another twenty years if there’s more of this in the tank.

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

Dead Pioneers new Single ‘Freedom Means Something’

Dead Pioneers new Single ‘Freedom Means Something’

DEAD PIONEERS RAIL AGAINST CURRENT AMERICAN POLITICS IN NEW SINGLE ‘FREEDOM MEANS SOMETHING’

STREAM/DL HERE:

UK AND EU DATES CONFIRMED FOR FEBRUARY/MARCH 2026 – TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE:

Dead Pioneers, the indigenous punk rock band from Denver, have never been afraid to use their art as a vehicle to express their beliefs and anger at the current political landscape in America. Over two albums – their self-titled debut in 2023 and ‘PO$T AMERICAN’ from earlier this year, the band have concocted a unique blend of spoken word, hypnotic post-rock and punk roots that has quickly caught the imagination of music fans searching for something new, something real and a band with something to say.

Dead Pioneers have now returned with a new single that is perhaps their most enraged work to date. ‘Freedom Means Something’ was recorded at the same time as ‘PO$T AMERICAN’, but didn’t make the album at the time, yet despite being written over a year ago, it captures the political and social moment of the United States and the anger, fear and vitriol that comes in policy changes and egregious decisions being made by this current administration.

“It was one of a few pieces we did that didn’t make the album cut at the time,” clarifies frontman Gregg Deal. “It wasn’t an issue of good or not, so much as curating our second record to something that made sense. We are so pleased to be releasing this piece now. Much like our second record, we wrote for the moment and didn’t expect the message of the music to be more relevant to what is currently happening here. We stand by our message, politically, socially and culturally, in hopes for change. These statements are meant to be in the moment of recognising that there are those among us, the most vulnerable, who will be the first to feel the effects of what we can only call oppressive. It is our moral duty and obligation to say the quiet thing out loud in an effort to use the medium of music to provide another way to hear ideas that stand in opposition of policies that align with the principles of white supremacy and fascism and nazi ideology, undermining the basic principles of freedom. We hope you see this in Freedom Means Something.”

“We will tar and feather you with your money and prepare you for your place in the annals of historical genocide. Amidst the nationalistic maniacs that destroy families and land, and legacy and truth and decency. Your end is near,” says Gregg in the song’s closing verse. It’s powerful, intense and righteous.

Dead Pioneers are confirmed to play their first EU and UK tour in February and March, 2026. Support for all UK shows comes from Yakkie, featuring Janey Starling formerly of Dream Nails. Go HERE for tickets.

Dead Pioneers emerged as a dynamic extension of vocalist Gregg Deal’s performance art, seamlessly blending music with critical cultural commentary. Rooted in the same themes of identity and resistance that define his visual work, the band’s sound acts as a powerful platform for addressing the complexities of Indigenous experience. Deal harnesses the raw energy of punk and alternative influences to challenge prevailing narratives, using lyrics that provoke thought and evoke emotion. Just as his performance art confronts the legacies of colonisation and systemic marginalisation, Dead Pioneers – completed by Josh Rivera and Abe Brennan on guitars, bassist Lee Tesche (Algiers) and drummer Shane Zweygardt – engages audiences in a visceral dialogue about survival, resilience, and reclamation of voice. This musical endeavour not only amplifies his artistic vision but also creates a space for collective expression and solidarity, inviting listeners to reflect on the intersections of culture, history, and identity in a contemporary context. Through Dead Pioneers, Deal continues to assert that art, in all its forms, can be a powerful vehicle for activism and change. 

The band are currently playing shows in the US and working on new material and will start recording their third album later this year.

See Dead Pioneers at the following dates in the UK and EU in 2026:

February

26th UK Bristol, The Croft

27th UK Manchester, Rebellion

28th UK Leeds, Key Club

March

1st UK London, The Underworld

3rd NL Arnhem, Willemeen

5th DE Wiesbaden, Schlachthof

6th DE Stuttgart, Juha West

7th DE Cologne, Helios37

9th CH Zurich, Bogen F

11th AT Vienna, Arena

12th DE Munich, Backstage

13th DE Berlin, Cassiopeia

14th DE Hamburg, Hafenklang

Find Dead Pioneers online HERE:

Peter Hook & The Light UK Tour 2025

Peter Hook & The Light UK Tour 2025

GET READY // UK TOUR – NOVEMBER 2025

“Get Ready was a honeymoon record. Looking back now, it was very enjoyable to make, and I think is massively underrated. It did sort the wheat from the chaff and led to a New Order mk2, which played better but had lost a naivety whilst gaining a maturity. Barney and I became a ‘power couple’ in Manchester during the making of the record but, sadly, the old problems recurred when we came to play live. The writing was on the wall from then on. The two of us worked very hard to make this a great record and I think we succeeded. I am looking forward to playing all the tracks, many of which have never been played live before. The Light will shine through … Get Ready!” PETER HOOK

PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT have announced a full UK tour for November during which they will perform the New Order album Get Ready in its entirety, followed by a full set of the most seminal tracks from the back catalogues of both Joy Division and New Order. The tour follows three highly successful Get Ready dates at Bristol Marble Factory, London Troxy and Manchester Victoria Warehouse over the Easter weekend in April and a US Get Ready tour during early summer.

Get Ready was released in 2001 and reached #2 on the US Billboard Electronic album chart and #6 in the UK album chart. It was the seventh studio album from New Order and was dedicated by the band to Rob Gretton, the manager of both Joy Division and New Order, who had died in 1999.

The UK Get Ready dates follow a mammoth run of shows last year – including tours of Australia, New Zealand, South America, North America, the UK and Ireland – tours of Spain and France in March this year in which the band played the Substance albums by Joy Division and New Order, a full US Get Ready tour in May and June this year, and a host of UK and EU festivals throughout the summer.

UK GET READY TOUR | NOVEMBER 2025

Thu 06 WORTHING Assembly Hall

Fri 07 BOURNEMOUTH O2 Academy

Sat 08 COVENTRY HMV Empire

Thu 13 LIVERPOOL Olympia

Fri 14 EDINBURGH Corn Exchange

Sat 15 NEWCASTLE Boiler Shop

Thu 20 HOLMFIRTH Picturedrome

Fri 21 BATH Komedia

Sat 22 CAMBRIDGE Junction

Thu 27 LINCOLN Engine Shed

Fri 28 LYTHAM Pavilion

Sat 29 LEEDS O2 Academy

Tickets available here: https://peterhookandthelight.live

Mini Skirt – ‘All That We Know’ (Fuzz Club/Bad Vibrations)

Mini Skirt – ‘All That We Know’ (Fuzz Club/Bad Vibrations)

All grit and no glamour, Mini Skirt are a no-nonsense noisy bunch of musicians, and this new album gets right into the mix with the driving ‘Pottville River’ battering the listener with a hypnotic riff and tub thumping that will crawl inside your head and make you crave it more and more.

Lean in and take in every lyric and bop til you drop, nailing the tone of the record to perfection as the vocals are spat out rathe rthan sung like a lullaby this is music for people who give a shit and know exactly what they want. Noise but not for the sake of it, lyrics that give a shit that aren’t shit and an overall album that will take you on a journey you don’t want to go on but are a willing victim. Mini Skirt are in killer form.

Australia is the epicentre of this sound and boy do they do it well, in fact, they do it better than anywhere else on the planet from Stiff Richards and Split System to The Outsiders and the sniffers through Civic, C.O.F.F.I.N. and Grindhouse right back to Birdman and The Saints this far away island rules.

Five years since their debut album ‘Casino’, this album follows on from where that left off, leaving the informed in no-brainer territory, knowing what they’re getting for their bucks. For the newcomers, just jump in, it’s loud, raw, but bursting with passion. ‘All That We Know’ is now ready to push Mini Skirt in front of more people around the world, and that’s a good thing. These Australian pub-punkers will probably not give two shiny shits about some writer on the other side of the world, but they should know that they’re on the right path, and for someone who loves this honest, raw, passionate rock n roll thing, they should continue to deliver their brand of jagged, raw political Aussie noise.

I love the Saints wrapped in their DNA on songs like ‘Smart Enough’ and then to punch harder on ‘Chew The Cud’. I can imagine being in a sweaty, dark club being thrown around to, this being an experience we all should be on board with.

I find the hypnotic rhythms married to the noise-overdriven guitars the perfect match and most engaging. There is a darkness happening that’s like musical voodoo casting a spell over the listener. Songs like ‘Mud’ weave their way into your brain and are most addictive. ‘Squeeze Down’ is epic, but saying that, this whole album is pretty epic and one that opens different moments on every play. Man, I love records like this, and my advice is you will too, so waste no more time and get some Mini Skirt on the turntable. You can thank me later.

Buy Here

WitchDoktors – ‘Izzatso?’ (Bomber Music)

WitchDoktors – ‘Izzatso?’ (Bomber Music)

London rock n’ roll band WitchDoktors are back with a new album, ‘Izzatso?’, and what a bright slice of sunshine Rock n roll it is too. From the punchy opener ‘Lightning Strike’, you can lace up your creepers and get boppin. Featuring 11 tracks, WitchDoktors they refuse to stand still and incorporate styles outside of their comfort zone of rootsy punk rock n rolland on the opener, the breakdown is infectious and holds up the wonderful slide courtesy of Ruts DC Leigh Heggarty. Equal servings of Trashy glam rock n roll played loudly through amps with real instruments with big throaty gang vocals, it’s the perfect opener.

Hot on the heels is the punchy ‘Before The War’ with a fantastic chorus bursting with energy, it’s simply majestic, and the clincher is a hearty, warm, engaging production that’s elevating the songs into the next league.

Conceived during COVID and then delayed by the sad passing of their longtime collaborator and legendary recording engineer Pat Collier,  ‘Izzatso?’ is named thus for the listener to not take things on face value and to question everything. It’s no coincidence that the band are big fans of Mr Strummer, who’s woven into their DNA. See through the veils of bullshit or spins on stories or propaganda, and to think for yourself.” Wise words.

‘High Dry And Burn’ has a feel of Michael Monroe going on, and what a track it is from the backbeat, its exceptional songwriting and already the album is barely awake, and it’s pulling the listener in several directions and all of the highest order. Impressive stuff.

Heading into Strummer territory for ‘Freedom Fighter’, this could stand tall alongside tracks like ‘Tony Adams’ with its lively Bass run and inner city skank. Man, the horns on ‘Planet Of Pain’ with its energy are something else. The song is honkingly good and will deffo fuck you up!

WitchDoktors have hit a career high on this one, and the punch and zip of ‘Spanner In The Works’ is another side step into some ska skank with funky horns and twitching keys that a mid-70s Rolling Stones would have killed for. Whereas ‘God Knows’ has a pulse of Kinks in the song, at least that’s what I’m hearing mixed with some Small Faces for good measure, and the super strong vocal helps.

It’s an album full to bursting with potential singles left, right and centre, with a mixture of styles that work really well, making the best WitchDoktors album thus far. 2025 has been an awesome year for new albums and this is next level for these Londoners, showing that they can go toe to toe with anyone in this risky business. Kicking ass and doing it with a beaming smile, no doubt. Hell, they even don the sombreros and chew on cigars for a little mexicana on the album’s closer, ‘Kicking The Can’, complete with its squeezebox and trumpet, it’s making Paul-Ronney Angel blush, it’s so good. Andy and Tony, who write the songs, have really delivered without hesitation. I suggest you go and get a copy of this one right off the bat and demand they come to your part of town and bring the big guns, ‘Izzatso?’ is all killer and no filler, and you can tell I said so! Buy It! 

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley